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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. track — a path
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fall — the season
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. track — a song
  14. pass — a permit
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com